How to Take Care of Aging Cats?
The ages of pet cats have been extended nowadays by modern veterinary advancements and treatments. Today, your kitten can be considered an aging cat at 12–14 years old. 12 years of cat to human years is approximately 64 years.
With their age, your cat’s health requires extra attention, which can be maintained by proper veterinary sessions and extra care. According to a survey taken in the United Kingdom (UK) in February 2020, 84 percent of owners have their cat registered with a vet.
Following are some tips I would like to add to your veterinary sessions for your older cat’s better health:
Maintaining Your Cat’s Healthy Weight
It is usual to see your aging cat gaining weight due to an irregular diet. You can also notice your cat loosing weight due to weakness. Your cat can gain weight due to consuming the same amount of calories without enough physical activity.
Furthermore, your cat can lose weight due to some illness or low appetite. You can balance your cat’s diet by feeding them small amounts of meals of different tastes throughout the whole day.
Dealing With Your Cat’s Stress
As cats age, their brains can become more vulnerable to stress, which can have a more significant impact. Your cat may experience stress from their surroundings or interactions with people. Signs of stress in cats can be behavioral as well as physical, such as:
- Ingesting non-food items like plastic or foam.
- Poor appetite than usual.
- Abrupt weight loss or weight gain.
Creating an older cat-friendly environment, placing resources (litter boxes, scratching posts, bedding) in easily accessible positions in the house, and sticking to a routine at mealtime can be helpful in dealing with anxiety.
Grooming Your Cat
Cats typically groom themselves to keep clean and tidy. However, for aging cats, self-grooming can be challenging due to loss of mobility and flexibility. You may need to groom your senior cat by yourself to prevent them from skin and psychological problems.
You may need to wipe your cat’s eyes, nose, and anus gently using separate pieces of cotton moistened with warm water. You need to gently comb your cat’s fur to comb out all loose furs and knots. You can use this as a bonding session between you and your cat.
Playing With Your Cat
Playing with your cat plays an essential role in keeping your cat active and attentive. Playing with your cat can act as an exercise for the joints of your older cats. Senior cats may not be as energetic as young kittens, but you can use unfamiliar toys to intimidate your cat.
You can use puzzles and fabric toys to intrigue your cat to move and play with you. For example, revolving a stuffed toy attached to a string around your toy to gain their attention.
Conclusion
Your senior cat is as attached to you as you are attached to your cat. You can keep up your cat’s mental state by spending time with them and taking care of your cat.
You can improve your cat’s health in their old age by performing the mentioned tips. It is crucial to get your cat pet insurance to manage the cost of illness or incidents that may occur with age. You can have more informative content about your cat by following our portfolio.
